The hearing was part of what is called a determination of need application which is required whenever a hospital in Massachusetts is seeking to change ownership.

The Cooley Dickinson Board of Trustees voted in February 2012 to merge with Massachusetts General.

Cooley Dickinson had been a member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Alliance for 15 years, but that disbanded, leaving the Northampton hospital all by itself. The hospital’s position since then has been that by affiliating with Massachusetts General, Cooley Dickinson will remain autonomous and be able to provide quality care while benefiting from the Boston hospital’s resources.

Forty-six people offered testimony as part of the hearing including Cooley Dickinson President Craig N. Melin and Massachusetts General President Peter Slavin.

According to Dianne Cutillo, senior director of public affairs, forty-six people, a mixture of hospital employees, past and present patients and members of the community, offered testimony for the hearing. All spoke in favor of allowing Cooley Dickinson to be acquired by Massachusetts General.

Melin testified in support of allowing the acquisition, saying Cooley Dickinson needs it in order to continue providing the services it does while addressing the continuing changes in medicine.

“Looking at tomorrow, we do not believe small community hospitals can afford the infrastructure and marshal the resources for these changes on their own,” he said.

“Our board – with input from physicians, the community and staff – believes the long-term security of our locally managed health system depends on joining a larger system to maintain strong services and programs and invest in the future,” Melin said.

He said Massachusetts General does not intend to redirect services away from Cooley Dickinson if it can be demonstrated the services can be delivered with quality and affordability.

Slavin testified that the acquisition by Massachusetts General “would enable Cooley Dickinson to continue as a vibrant and vital health care resource that has delivered excellent care to a grateful community for more than a hundred years.”

The Department of Public Health will accept written testimony through April 12. After reviewing all the testimony, a recommendation on whether to allow the merger is expected to be made in May or June.

People who wish to speak either in favor or opposed to the merger may submit written comments by mail care of Bernard Plovnick, Department of Public Health, Determination of Need Program, 99 Chauncy St., Second Floor, Boston, MA, 02111.